Holmes, 70, spent 21 years as a judge in Battle Creek and retired just one month ago before agreeing to come to Grand Rapids as a visiting judge.

Holmes presides over probable cause hearings in the 61st District Court and is likely to be one of several visiting judges that will come to the court as vacation schedules strain the judicial resources of a court already depleted by illness and pending retirement.

Add that to the usual summer vacation scheduling and that leaves the second largest city in Michigan with sometimes only two district judges available, according to Secor.

But fortunately for the dockets, the regional office of the State Court Administrative Office has a stable of about nine retired judges from around the state who like to keep their hats in the ring and rack up a bit of supplemental income by acting as visiting judges.

These judges are often 70 or older with decades of jurisprudence under their belts.
“It works out pretty nicely,” Secor said. “Judge Holmes is a great judge and has done a wonderful job.”